The first quarter of 2026 is over. In these three months, more than 40 films have already hit the market. But if we look at how many delivered a solid box office success, only one film clearly stands out; Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu.
Starring Chiranjeevi, the film has emerged as the only outright blockbuster of the first quarter this year.
Sankranthi Sentiment Continues
For the last three years, a strange Sankranthi sentiment has been continuing in Tollywood. Big films that arrive with huge expectations are somehow not fully living up to the hype.
For example, Guntur Kaaram came in 2024, Game Changer arrived for Sankranthi in 2025, and this year The Raja Saab came with similar expectations. Every year, one film is expected to shine big in January, but somehow that expected explosion is missing.
Still, that doesn’t mean the January box office has gone dull.
As expected, this year too, January remained strong, and Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu turned out to be a clear blockbuster.
In the same season, Anaganaga Oka Raju also performed well and ended up as a hit, though not a blockbuster. Because of reshoots, heroine replacement, and a major budget increase, the final returns may not look huge compared to the investment, but it still falls in the hit category.
Similarly, Nari Nari Naduma Murari, which also released during Sankranthi, managed to emerge as a decent success. However, the film suffered due to limited screen availability amid heavy competition.
February Failed Completely
If January had some bright spots, February was a total disappointment.
Not even a single film managed to click at the box office. In fact, this year’s February broke a long-standing hit sentiment that the month usually carries in Tollywood.
In recent years, February has often given at least one successful film; be it Tandel, Bhairava Kona, Sir, DJ Tillu, Uppena, or Bheeshma. But this year, February failed to repeat that trend.
To make matters worse, Funky ended up as a particularly painful setback.
March Brought A Big Shock
March too did not spare either the audience or the trade.
The biggest surprise came in the form of Ustaad Bhagat Singh, which ended up as a flop despite carrying huge expectations.
With Pawan Kalyan and Harish Shankar coming together, many believed the film would give a strong kick-start to the summer box office. But that did not happen.
The only film that somewhat rescued the March box office was Dhurandhar 2. Even though it is a dubbed film, it has managed to post good collections and is still continuing its run in theatres.
Overall First Quarter Report
Overall, the first quarter of Tollywood gave the industry one clear blockbuster in Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu, while Anaganaga Oka Raju and Nari Nari Naduma Murari managed to emerge as hits.
At the same time, films like The Raja Saab, Funky and Ustaad Bhagat Singh came as major shocks to the trade.
And though it did not perform strongly at the box office, Couple Friendly still earned a reputation as a good film.
So, in the end, the first quarter gave Tollywood one mega blockbuster, a few decent hits, and one major mega shock.